EQAC Presents 2011 Annual Report on the Environment

News Highlights

The Environmental
Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) presented its annual report to the
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 6. The “2011 Annual
Report on the Environment” provides an overview of
environmental conditions and programs in the county and offers
recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. The report covers 2010,
but also includes significant actions from 2011.

In the report, EQAC Chairman Stella Koch thanked the board for its
continued strong support of environmental programs, noting, “We
understand that although budget constraints lessened this year they
continue to impact all programs within the county.” She emphasized the
importance of environmental programs, “to maintain the high quality of
life we have in Fairfax County and the high standards we have set for
ourselves.” In addition to good schools and jobs, quality of life is also
about having a clean and healthy environment for residents to live and
recreate in.

EQAC’s priority recommendations:

Increase the Stormwater Service District rate in FY 2013 by a penny,
from a rate of 1.5 cents per $100 assessed real estate value to 2.5
cents per $100. This would provide more funding for modest watershed
improvement programs and a somewhat more realistic infrastructure
replacement timeline.

Establish an Environmental Improvement Program projects fund similar to
the Information Technology fund.

Other topics addressed by the report include climate change and energy;
land use and transportation; air quality; water resources; solid waste;
hazardous materials; ecological resources; wildlife management; and
noise, light pollution and visual blight.

Fairfax County uses its “Environmental
Improvement Program” (EIP) to provide a strategic approach to
prioritizing environmental actions for implementation, as well as
integrate and link environmental goals and objectives into all levels of
county decision-making. The EIP has received a National Association of
Counties Achievement Award.

EQAC’s 2011 Annual Report and reports from previous years are available
online. More
information about EQAC is online or call the
Department of Planning and Zoning, 703-324-1380, TTY 711, or email eqac@fairfaxcounty.gov.